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Craig Gannon (born 30 July 1966) is an English guitarist, best known as the second guitarist in the Smiths (1986). He is now a composer for film and television.

Career

Born in Manchester, Gannon had played in bands with friends since he was 12 years old, and in 1983 joined Aztec Camera after replying to an ad in Melody Maker. In 1984, he briefly joined The Colourfield, and went on to join The Bluebells. After another brief stint in The Colourfield, when bass player Andy Rourke was fired from the Smiths in early 1986, Gannon was hired to replace him. Within a fortnight, however, Rourke was reinstated and Gannon moved to rhythm guitar, becoming the official fifth member, playing on the "Panic" and "Ask" singles and touring the UK, Canada, and the US with the band. Gannon also played on the scrapped single "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby", which was included on The World Won't Listen compilation album. After the tour ended in October 1986, Gannon was no longer part of the line-up. He played on a total of six Smiths tracks, all recorded in 1986, as well as all tracks on the live Rank album. Gannon has been affectionately known thereafter as 'The Fifth Smith'.

After leaving the Smiths, Gannon joined Brix Smith in The Adult Net and Blue Orchids. He reunited with Morrissey at his debut solo gig and 1989 singles "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and "Interesting Drug", but that same year saw him sue Morrissey and Johnny Marr for nonpayment of wages and over the degree of his involvement in songwriting (notably for "Ask"). The matter was settled out of court for the sum of £44,000. This amount included £30,000 for unpaid wages and £14,000 in legal costs. Gannon composed the music used on the Inside The Smiths DVD, released by former Smiths Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke. In addition to this, Gannon also appeared in and composed the music for a classic albums DVD of The Queen Is Dead – released in May 2008.

In the mid-1990s, he was in the initial line-up of Black Grape. He has played guitar with many other artists, including Terry Hall, Roddy Frame, Alison Moyet, Denise Van Outen, Edwyn Collins, and Paul Quinn. He was also asked to join Orange Juice's James Kirk and Steven Daly's band Memphis), Buzzcocks/FOC, Robert Lloyd, Deadly Avenger, Red Venom, Vinny Peculiar, and The Family Foundation. In 2014, Gannon was asked to play with The Specials but declined.

Discography (partial)

With the Bluebells

Non-studio-album singles

• "All I Am (Is Loving You)" (1985)

Albums

• Sisters (1984)
  • "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "Red Guitars", "Syracuse University", "South Atlantic Way"

With the Smiths

Non-studio-album singles

• "Panic" (1986)
• "Ask" (1986)

Albums

• The World Won't Listen (compilation, 1987)
  • "Panic", "Ask", "London", "Half a Person", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" (and "Golden Lights" on post-1992 reissues)
• Louder Than Bombs (compilation, 1987)
  • "Half a Person", "London", "Panic", "Ask", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" and "Golden Lights"
• Rank (live, 1988 )
  • Appears on all tracks
• Best... I (compilation, 1992)
  • "Half a Person" and "Panic"
• ...Best II (compilation, 1992)
  • "Ask"
• Singles (compilation, 1995)
  • "Panic" and "Ask"
• The Very Best of The Smiths (compilation, 2001)
  • "Panic" and "Ask"
• The Sound of The Smiths (compilation, 2008)
  • "Panic", "Ask", "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby", "Half a Person", "London" (live version)

With the Cradle

Non-studio-album singles

• "It's Too High"

With Morrissey

Non-studio-album singles

• "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" (1989)
• "Interesting Drug" (1989)

Albums

• Bona Drag (compilation, 1990)
  • "Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference", "Interesting Drug", "The Last of the Famous International Playboys", "Lucky Lisp"
• World of Morrissey (compilation, 1995)
  • "The Last of the Famous International Playboys"
• The Best of Morrissey (compilation, 2001)
  • "The Last of the Famous International Playboys", "Interesting Drug"
• Greatest Hits (compilation, 2008)
  • "The Last of the Famous International Playboys"
• My Early Burglary Years (compilation, 1998)
  • "Michaels Bones"
• Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey (compilation, 1997)
  • "The Last of the Famous International Playboys", "Interesting Drug"

With Adult Net

Albums

• The Honey Tangle (1989)

With Robert Lloyd

Albums

• Me & My Mouth!?❊ (1990)
  • "Not Forever", "Sweet Georgia Black", "Of Course You Can’t", "Man Oh Man", "Hey Roberta"

With Blue Orchids

Non-studio-album singles

• "Diamond Age" (1991)

Albums

• The Sleeper (2003)
  • "Moth", "Diamond Age"

With Terry Hall

Albums

• Home (1994)
• Laugh (1997)

With Vinny Peculiar

Albums

• The Fall and Rise of Vinny Peculiar (2006)

With Help Stamp Out Loneliness

Albums

• Help Stamp Out Loneliness (2011)
  • "Biergarten"

References

1. "Interview with Craig Gannon (February 2012)". Earcandymag.com.
2. Kutner, Jon & Leigh, Spencer (2005) "687: The Bluebells Young at Heart", in 1000 UK Number One Hits, Omnibus Press
3. Rogan, Johnny (2012) Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance (The 20th Anniversary Edition), Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1-78038-304-0, pp. 400
4. "I started something I couldn't finish: the Smiths reunion that wasn't". The Guardian. 30 January 2018. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
5. Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 194, 234
6. Clarke, Andrew (1989) "Morrissey Comes Alive", Spin, April 1989, p. 12
7. Larkin, Colin (2007) The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, Bish Bash Books

External links

• Official website
• Craig Gannon info @ Diazepam05-english.blogspot.co.uk
• Craig Gannon on Soundcloud
• Craig Gannon on Oticons Film Composers Agency

v t e Morrissey
Jesse Tobias Matt Walker Solomon Walker Camila Grey Carmen Vandenberg Stephen Street Andrew Paresi Vini Reilly Andy Rourke Mike Joyce Craig Gannon Neil Taylor Matthew Seligman Kevin Armstrong Mark E. Nevin Mark Bedford Boz Boorer Alain Whyte Gary Day Roger Manning Michael Farrell Barrie Cadogan Matt Chamberlain
Studio albums	Viva Hate Kill Uncle Your Arsenal Vauxhall and I Southpaw Grammar Maladjusted You Are the Quarry Ringleader of the Tormentors Years of Refusal World Peace Is None of Your Business Low in High School California Son I Am Not a Dog on a Chain Without Music the World Dies
Live albums	Beethoven Was Deaf Live at Earls Court
Compilation albums	Bona Drag World of Morrissey Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey My Early Burglary Years The CD Singles '88–91' The Best of Morrissey Greatest Hits Swords Very Best of Morrissey
Unreleased albums	Bonfire of Teenagers
Extended plays	At KROQ
Singles	"Suedehead" / "Hairdresser on Fire" "Everyday Is Like Sunday" / "Sister I'm a Poet" "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" "Interesting Drug" "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" "November Spawned a Monster" "Piccadilly Palare" "Our Frank" "Sing Your Life" "Pregnant for the Last Time" "My Love Life" "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" "You're the One for Me, Fatty" "Tomorrow" "Certain People I Know" "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" "Hold On to Your Friends" "Interlude" "Now My Heart Is Full" "Boxers" "Dagenham Dave" "The Boy Racer" "Sunny" "Alma Matters" "Roy's Keen" "Satan Rejected My Soul" "Irish Blood, English Heart" "First of the Gang to Die" "Let Me Kiss You" "I Have Forgiven Jesus" "Redondo Beach" / "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" "You Have Killed Me" "The Youngest Was the Most Loved" "In the Future When All's Well" "I Just Want to See the Boy Happy" "That's How People Grow Up" "All You Need Is Me" "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" "Glamorous Glue" "Satellite of Love" "World Peace Is None of Your Business" "Istanbul" "Earth Is the Loneliest Planet" "The Bullfighter Dies" "Kiss Me a Lot" "Spent the Day in Bed" "Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage"
Video albums	Hulmerist The Malady Lingers On Introducing Morrissey ¡Oye Esteban! Who Put the M in Manchester? Live at the Hollywood Bowl Morrissey: 25 Live
Books	Autobiography List of the Lost
Related articles	Discography Songs Personnel The Nosebleeds The Smiths England Is Mine "Panic on the Streets of Springfield" Mexrrissey
Category

• 1966 births
• Living people
• English people of Irish descent
• English rock bass guitarists
• English male bass guitarists
• British indie pop musicians
• British indie rock musicians
• English alternative rock musicians
• English rock guitarists
• Musicians from Manchester
• The Adult Net members
• The Smiths members
• Aztec Camera members
• Morrissey band members